A man holds shrapnel from mortar shells fired from the Gaza Strip that landed near a kindergarten, in a Kibbutz on the Israeli side of the Israeli-Gaza border, May 29, 2018. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
Politicians on the right and left talked tough after the attack from Gaza on nearby Israeli towns Tuesday.
“Shooting mortars at a preschool crosses a serious red line,” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said. “We cannot allow terrorist organizations to hurt and undermine the security of the children and other residents of the Gaza envelope towns.”
Israeli defense system shoots down Gaza mortar fire, Israeli kindergarten hit, May 29, 2018 (Reuters)
Former defense minister MK Amir Peretz (Zionist Union), a resident of Sderot, said that the salvo from Gaza was unlike anything seen since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge and called on the IDF to respond.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Hamas is in charge in the Gaza Strip and it must pay the price,” Peretz added.
Yesh Atid MK Haim Jelin, the former head of the Eshkol Local Council, which was struck by mortars, called on residents to continue their daily routine, and for the government to make sure there’s an appropriate response that leads to an end to the shootings.
“Protective Edge ended with the heads of Hamas knowing that we bombed their families’ homes. They also have vulnerabilities. They cannot disrupt our daily lives and civilian resilience,” Jelin stated.
Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel called the bombardment unusually strong.
“Before the drizzle turns into a heavy rain, we must rethink the strength of the Israeli response and the message to terrorist organizations in Gaza,” she argued. “The rules of the game must be clear to all. The IDF will charge a heavy, personal price from whoever fuels the fires of terror.”
Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid said he expected to hear “clear condemnations from across the world of this attack on a civilian population.”
Comments are closed.